Black Caviar, Treve honored as world’s best; Wise Dan third on list

Unbeaten speed machine Black Caviar was rated at 130… (Courtesy of jockey/photographer Stephen Baster via Twitter)

Black Caviar and Treve were honored as the highest-rated horses in the world
during the World’s Best Racehorse Ceremony at Friday’s gala dinner of the Hong
Kong International Races, held at the Hong Kong Convention & Exhibition Centre.
Wise Dan was also honored as the third highest-rated horse in the world.

Both Black Caviar and Treve achieved a rating of 130 for 2013. Wise Dan
earned a rating of 129.

The World’s Best Racehorse Rankings are horse racing’s equivalent to world
rankings by other major sporting organizations and are based on the ratings
earned by horses running worldwide from North and South America, Europe, the
Middle East, South Africa, Asia, Australia, and New Zealand. The ratings are
compiled under the auspices of the International Federation of Horseracing
Authorities (IFHA) by racing officials and handicappers representing the five
continents.

This marked the first year that the three highest rated horses on the World’s
Best Racehorse Rankings and their owners were honored at the World’s Best
Racehorse Ceremony.

…as was unbeaten Arc romper Treve (Frank Sorge/Horsephotos.com)

The three-year-old French filly Treve embarked on an undefeated campaign in
2013, displaying sheer brilliance in each of her four starts. After success in
the Prix Perruche Bleu in May at Saint Cloud Racecourse, Treve won her first
Group 1 race in the Prix de Diane at Chantilly by four lengths. She returned to
the races with a triumph in the Prix Vermeille, defeating a top-class field of
older fillies and mares at Longchamp Racecourse. A fitting conclusion to Treve’s
2013 was reached with a brilliant five-length victory in the Prix de l’Arc de
Triomphe, also at Longchamp Racecourse. Treve’s scintillating win saw her beat
10 Group 1 winners and confirmed her as the best long distance racehorse in the
world. Treve was bred in France by Haras Du Quesnay and was owned by her breeder
in her first two races in 2013. She was subsequently purchased by Sheikh Joaan
Bin Hamad al Thani and carried his silks to wins in the Vermeille and the Arc.
Treve is trained by Criquette Head-Maarek and was ridden to wins in 2013 by both
Thierry Jarnet and Frankie Dettori.

As the reigning American Horse of the Year, Wise Dan won six races from seven
starts, winning all six of his races on turf. He began his season with wins in
the Maker’s 46 Mile Stakes, Woodford Reserve Turf Classic and the Firecracker
Handicap, a race he won in 2011. Wise Dan also repeated his 2012 win in the
Fourstardave Handicap and dominated the Woodbine Mile Stakes, winning by 3 1/2
lengths. He suffered his lone defeat in 2013 when finishing second in the
Shadwell Turf Mile Stakes, a race run on Keeneland Racecourse’s Polytrack after
a torrential rainstorm left the turf course unsuitable for racing. Wise Dan
rebounded from that loss to defend his title in the Breeders’ Cup Mile,
defeating a world-class field. A six-year-old gelding bred in the United States,
Wise Dan is bred and owned by Morton Fink and trained by Charles LoPresti. He
was ridden to victory in 2013 by both John Velazquez and Jose Lezcano.